


a true knight

by Anthissa



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Canonical Character Death, Gen, Grief/Mourning
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-10
Updated: 2019-11-10
Packaged: 2021-01-05 22:35:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,191
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21216161
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Anthissa/pseuds/Anthissa
Summary: He uttered the one single phrase that would cause an irreparable rift between a father and his only living son; “He died like a true knight,”





	a true knight

Growing up, Glenn was everything to Felix. He was everything that pictured himself being once he was older, strong, intelligent and heroic. Yet above all that, a strong desire to protect all that he held dear to protect his dear friends, his family. To Felix, Glenn was invincible, unstoppable. A steadfast knight, determined in fulfilling his duties in service to the royal family. Felix knew he earnestly wanted to be exactly like his older brother.  
  
The bleak day that Glenn's armour and scarred sword were the only things of his to return from Duscur, Felix knew that a lifestyle that so readily welcomed and honoured death, he wanted nothing to do with it. That day had started off relatively normal, aside from Glenn’s absence, although he had been sent to escort the royal around two weeks ago. Felix awoke early that morning and had practically wolfed his breakfast, much to the annoyance of his father.  
  
“You mustn't eat so fast Felix, you could choke!” were his father’s worried, insistent words. Felix merely ignored him, instead opting to rush his breakfast, to sit by the same window at the same time that he normally did. Waiting to see if it was the day that Glenn would be returning home. Although Felix knew his brother's mission to Duscur would be no short trip, he should be home soon and Felix wanted to be the first one to welcome him back home.  
  
What he was not expecting was that within the next hour, was a small party of knights, or possibly squires, marching in a sombre tone towards his family’s estate. He could not recognise his brother among them. His father was at the gates before he was already speaking to one of the knights in hushed tones as his hands trembled, holding something close to his chest. Something that looked overly familiar to Felix.  
  
“Father? What's going on? Where is Glenn?” he asked, his voice more hushed than usual, trembling as he looked up at his father.  
  
“Felix…” Rodrigue murmured, not even looking down at him. “Let's go inside… we'll talk inside.”  
  
Felix still recalls the sorrowful look on his face, his grave eyes looking at him yet at the same time looking straight through him. A shaking hand upon his own, the same item he was once clutching laid delicately upon his lap. He scarcely recognised it as being Glenn's breastplate. Scarred. Dented. Charred. Almost beyond recognition. Even the thought of what could have caused damage to such an impervious piece of steel settled dread heavily upon Felix's shoulders.  
  
“Why is it here, where is Glenn?” Felix thought, his nerves steadily arising.  
  
“Felix...” his Father started, his voice thick and heavy, “something … awful has happened, in Duscur,” he spoke slowly. “Glenn is not coming home,” his voice hitched, almost as if he was holding back tears. Such a reaction from his own father almost startled Felix; for Rodrigue Achille Fraldarius, the stoic shield of Faerghus had never shown such raw, vulnerable emotion to anybody before. Not even to his own sons.  
  
“I don't understand” Felix lied, he did understand. Even still, he merely did not want to. “Father, where is Glenn?”  
  
Rodrigue sucked in a harsh breath, the fierce grip of his calloused hand tightening over his own. “The royal family and their knights. They were attacked while travelling through Duscur. They … they were all killed, Felix,”  
  
Felix couldn’t breathe. Everyone? If everyone was killed, that would include the king, his brother. Everyone would mean…  
  
“I am told that his highness lives, however,” his father suddenly continued his voice still wavering as he tried holding his resolve, “Prince Dimitri still lives.”  
  
From the bewildered look in his father's grave eyes, Felix thought that he was almost in disbelief of Dimitri's miraculous survival. Felix felt the same also. He almost felt like crying out of short-lived relief, losing his brother would be painful enough, but if he lost his closest friend too he had no idea how he would deal with it. Though Dimitri's survival was still a double-edged blade, Dimitri may be coming home but his brother was not.  
  
“But Glenn isn’t coming home though. Is he? ” Felix asked, although he already knew the harsh answer. Glenn had to come home, there were still so many things Felix wanted to prove to him, there were still so much that he had to learn from his brother. He still hadn’t been capable enough to beat him in a single spar yet.  
  
Rodrigue shook his head, before placing his hand on Felix’s shoulder and gathering him into a hug. As awkward as the hug was, Felix still found comfort in it. “No. He’s not, Felix. I am so sorry…”, his father trailed off as he tightened his grip on Felix.  
  
Felix began to cry, almost inconsolable at this point. “But… it’s unfair, Glenn promised he would come home. He was supposed to come home! ”  
  
Rodrigue only sighed, before pulling away from Felix to delicately brush away the tears from his eyes. Although he was now smiling, it was pained, his true emotions now carefully concealed behind a mask.  
  
“Come now, Felix. Glenn would not want you to cry for him,” he confidently told Felix, squeezing his shoulder in comfort, “Instead, he would want you to be proud of him, my son,”  
  
“Proud? I don't understand… father why should I be proud of Glenn for dying?“ Felix asked although it was now borderline yelling and tears were now freely falling down his face. He was so confused, why would his father say something like that?  
  
Rodrigue looked at him and smiled, it was a genuine smile and it almost made Felix feel sick to his stomach. He uttered the one single phrase that would cause an irreparable rift between a father and his only living son; “He died like a true knight.”

* * *

  
Felix recalled upon the memory bitterly, he still remembered the way he screamed at his father and the way he only just screamed back at him. How could he? How could he react this way to the death of his own son? It made Felix sick, if he were to die would his father react the same way too? What pride was there to be found in death and sacrifice, what good was there in impulsively throwing your life away?  
  
How abhorrent.  
  
Felix stood alone in his room at Garreg Mach Monastery, it had been four years since his brother died, and two since his closest friend inadvertently exposed his true nature. His eyes drifted over to a single black iron spur that was speckled with rust, the only remaining memento that he had of his brother. The one reminder that he was to forge his own path in life, and not to follow the one that the station of his birth had set out for him.  
  
There were many things that he was still unsure about. Yet, if there was one thing that Felix knew, above all else, was that he was not going to be another corpse for a system or a country that honoured death more than it valued life.

**Author's Note:**

> i want to give Felix a hug so bad man


End file.
